"Are you sure you can't come with us?"

Chloe gave Emily a pouty face from the rolled-down window of the Cadillac.

With a half-hearted smile, Emily shook her head.

"I've got too much to do here. You know how long I've been putting off some of that paper work. Besides, I've got to hire a few new staff before you girls get back."

The driver of the lead car called to her.

"All loaded up, Ms. Renfroe."

Emily nodded and stepped back from the car as the engines of two Cadillacs started up.

"Remember to drink lots of water, and bring me back a cute pool boy from the resort!"

Chloe still looked a bit disappointed, or maybe concerned, but Emily waved with a big smile painted on her face as the cars pulled away from the mansion. She watched until the cars were out of sight, then sighed heavily and looked to the other end of the circular drive. Like clockwork, two other cars pulled to the curb in front of her. Four doors opened in tandem, and out stepped six large men in dark suits and fedoras. One of them approached Emily quickly.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Renfroe. My name is Anthony. I have to insist that we get you inside right away."

With that, Emily was whisked inside and the front door was shut and locked.

-------

A gaggle of beautiful women were crowded in the hallway of a luxurious, Southern California resort.

"Chlo, come on! We're hungry!"

From the open bedroom door, Chloe called back.

"You guys go on. I'll meet you at the restaurant."

When her friends were all crowded into the elevator, Chloe took a small slip of paper from her sleeve and sat down at the desk in front of the telephone. She read the number to the operator.

"Summerlin 70544, please."

The operator asked her to wait a moment while the call was connected. Any other time, Chloe would be practicing that sultry voice she always put on for Gavin Byrne. This time, she was just herself, and a concerned friend. When she heard the familiar, smooth voice answer, she wasted no time with pleasantries.

"Mr. Byrne, it's Chloe. This may sound strange, but I think something is off. It's Ms. Emily. She's been really tense the last few days, which is unlike her. Then, yesterday morning, she shut down the house and announced she was sending us girls on a vacation for a week. We were in cars by 3 pm the same day. I don't like to butt into her personal life, but, I'm worried. I was just thinking that maybe she could use a friend."

Gavin blinked, disoriented from the first moment of the phone call; he was just about to head out for a late dinner and...

How did Chloe get my-?

Right. The business card I'd left at the front desk.

From there, it was a struggle to keep up with the torrent of information. When he'd finally processed it, he spoke a tenth of what he was thinking.

"Thanks for calling, Chloe. Where are you staying? I'll go check on her and call you back, let you know everything's fine. Jeez, sounds like they rolled out the red carpet for you; I've heard of that place. Yep. I will. Sure. I'll go right now."

He hung up the phone with a sigh. Within the hour, he was dropped off by a cab in front of the bordello. As he strolled up the front walkway, he scratched his neck with his right hand. It was a gesture he'd taken to doing when he was nervous, since it placed his right hand inches away from the M1911 under his left shoulder.

Without a fiery rage burning for vengeance in his heart, Franco Petrelli Jr. would have been easily distracted by the glamor and wealth all around him. America was truly the land of treasure he was always told; and perhaps, once he had taken what he came for, he'd avail himself of the opportunities. For now, his mind was set, and he finally had eyes on his target. 

The surveillance had been spot-on. Two shifts of three guards were posted in and outside the sprawling whore-house. One guarded the front entrance, one posted at the service entrance, and one was posted inside and within voice range of Emily Renfroe at all times. 

At precisely 5 p.m., the shifts would change. The new guard assigned to the service entrance would make a sweep of the outer perimeter on his way to his post. Franco waited, crouched behind a perfectly manicured shrub with a garrote wire clenched in his fist. He wore exactly the same suit as the other guards, right down to the fedora, which shadowed his face well. Franco knew he'd have to be fast to ensure none of the other men were alerted. 

The guard came exactly on time, walking along the tree line and scanning the area. Quick as lighting, Franco jumped out of the bushes and wrapped the garrote around his neck and pulled tightly to keep the man from making any sound. Franco breathed as silently as possible, staring down the man with a sickening grin. Finally, he felt the satisfying sensation of the guards skin give way under the sharp wire, severing the carotid artery. After a few m moments, he dropped the corpse and pulled it into the bush. Having taken care of that one, Franco could easily walk into the door leading to the infirmary. 

---------

"Thank you, Anthony. See you in the morning." 

Emily gave the guard a smile as he walked off to hand over the shift. Rubbing her eyes, Emily tried to focus on the ledger in front of her. There wasn't actually anything to do with it, as Billy kept the books in perfect order. The next guard would be over any second to introduce himself, so she closed the book and sat back in her office chair. Chloe had called just before dinner to check in, and Emily had been able to sound cheerful, assuring the younger woman that everything was fine. She picked up the business card from the desk and ran a finger over the printed name. That elicited a little smile. When all this was over, maybe she would take a chance and--

Suddenly, Emily realized the next guard hadn't come in. She stood and slid out from behind the desk. Most of the lights were on, but there was no guard to be seen. 

"Hello?" 

The house was eerily quiet. She walked from the office up the halfway toward the reception desk. As she rounded the corner, she saw a man lying on the floor, bleeding from the neck. Her heart stopped, then began to race. Where were the other guards? 

"HELP!" 

She screamed, backing away from the body, bumping directly into another person standing behind her. She sighed with relief. 

"Oh, thank God. What's happ--" 

The man roughly grabbed her arm and yanked her back into the hallway behind the stairs. 

"Well, buongiorno, Miss Emily Renfroe. I have been looking for you."

The man had a thick Italian accent, horrible teeth, and a frightening look in his eyes. Before she could scream again, Franco landed a hard blow across her left cheek. Emily staggered back, trying to grab anything she could to defend herself. 

----------

An hour later, Franco checked for a pulse, then wiped his bloody hands on his slacks before standing again. He'd taken more time than he should have in torturing the woman who had been responsible for his father's death, but it wasn't anything the whore didn't deserve. She wouldn't make it, but there wasn't time to finish her off. He had to get away before any visitors tried to come for services. For sheer fun, he kicked the body of the front door guard that laid in the foyer. The sun was setting, and Franco disappeared into the woods. 

Gavin approached the building cautiously. No one answered his quiet knock. Removing his gun, he quickly picked the lock and entered the bordello. Inside, it was a quiet as a grave; for a moment, Gavin was reminded of the first time he'd taken Emily here, back when she was hiding with Silvio. It had been a wreck, then, and it was a wreck now as well.

The front room looked like a tornado had demolished it, and the dead guards' necks looked like they had been sliced by some sort of predator. 

Emily's body lay in the middle of it all. 

Gavin moved to her in an instant. There had been a fight, and she had been involved with it. Bruised face, and a cheek that had split open. She had a bruised neck, almost certainly from strangulation, and blood was pouring from a wound on her head. Still, bleeding from the head always looked worse than it was. There were also some cuts on her back, but none of it seemed life threatening. He knelt, listening to her breath- and he thanked the god he didn't believe in. 

He knelt down next to her, speaking her name and lightly tapping her cheek, not wanting to shake her.

"Emily. Emily."

Gavin waited to see whether she'd wake up- that would determine his response. When Emily's eyes fluttered open, he exhaled and a tension that had been gripping his chest faded away. She seemed... okay. Not good, obviously. But there was only pain in her eyes, and not death; Gavin had seen enough of both to know the difference. No, Emily was alive- and she'd stay that way.

Gavin's lip twitched in a barely suppressed rage. He reached over and poked the bloody footprint. It hadn't been made very long ago.

Gavin lifted Emily and carried her gently to the couch, speaking as he did so.

"You're okay. You're going to be fine. I will return, and I'm going to take care of you- I promise. If there's someone else you want to call to do so, I understand. But I will be back in a few minutes, and once I'm back I'm going to take care of you, and I won't leave."

He lay her down on the couch, phone within reach, and then he ripped off his jacket and placed it behind her head to help stop the immediate bleeding.

Taking a deep breath, her looked at her for a moment and ran out the back door.

_______

Franco Petrilli Jr. had been moving through the woods for what seemed like forever? Had he gotten lost? Turned around? Nah, he was probably just a few minutes from emerging on the other end of them, where his car would be waiting. He grinned, ugly teeth shining in the full moon as he caught his breath. 

"You really shouldn't have picked the woods," said a voice from the trees. 

Franco immediately pulled up his gun and shot twice in the direction of the voice. What the fuck? Who the fuck? There was silence for a few moments as Franco pointed his gun.

"You see, I was raised in the woods," said the voice, this time from the opposite direction, behind him. Franco turned again and shot.

"I was hunting since I could walk," said the voice from yet another direction. Franco shot two more times, his nerves on fire. 

"And you... I don't think you're much of a-", Franco shot two more times, emptying his gun, this time shooting before the voice could finish. The sound of the gunshots faded into the night sky.

"-hunter."

This time, the voice was followed by a single gunshot. It struck Franco in the stomach, causing him to cry out in agony. The pain was immense; it doubled him over. A second shot struck his knee; he could feel his kneecap explode as he dropped to the ground. He looked up, and he saw a man's silhouette in the moonlight. Franco reached for his garrote, desperate to try anything, but two more shots exploded each of his shoulders.

"If I wanted to, I could put a few more shots in your stomach right now. Leave you to die, very painfully. I'd be tempted to do it and watch you die... except I need to go help Emily, who's alive. And will remain alive. You failed."

The man knelt down.

"Which is lucky for you. Because I need to go. Quickly."

Gavin put two shots into his heart and another through his forehead. Standing, he began running, barefoot, back toward the bordello.

______

Gavin was a little surprised to find the bordello quiet as he returned. He'd locked the doors- no one else should be there, unless Emily had called for help. But she hadn't. Too much trust in Gavin? Or a lack of trust in others? Gavin had noticed the man he'd killed dressed like one of the guards... perhaps Emily was just being cautious.

He entered the room quietly, noticing her eyes open. Her whole self seemed to relax, to see him.

Wordlessly, he lifted her up and carried her downstairs, placing her on one of the medical tables. 

He gathered the supplies that it looked like he needed: shears for cutting the hair around her cut, alcohol to clean the wounds, bandages, supplies for stitching any deep cuts, and anything else that Emily seemed to point to. He'd done enough field repairs of himself and others to feel comfortable, and, suddenly, he saw Emily as his responsibility.

"Where do we begin?"

It sounded like her name was being called from a distance, hard to make out. Then she felt someone touch her face. Emily gasped and opened her eyes, panicked for a moment until her eyes focused enough to see Gavin beside her. The fear disappeared. She tried to say something, but her voice was nothing but a shaky, raspy squeak. Consciousness was hard to good onto. Her head was throbbing and stinging, and it felt like her entire body was broken. 

Then, she was being lifted. She couldn't move one of her arms, but with the other she held onto Gavin as he moved her to lie on the couch. 

"and when I get back, I'm going to take care of you, and I won't leave."

Looking into his blue eyes, Emily knew he meant every word. 

----------

She couldn't tell how much time had passed when her eyes flew open again, this time to the sound of gunshots. She tried to sit up, but a pain from her ribs jolted through her. Groaning, she tried to remain still. In the silence, she prayed that Gavin was alright. Franco was a monster, merciless and cold. But Gavin was far smarter. 

In a shorter time than she expected, the door opened again, and he was again at her side. He seemed alright from what she could tell. She held onto him again as he took her down to the infirmary.

"Where do we begin?"

---------

Gavin seemed well practiced in first aid, and was steady as a rock as she talked him through setting her broken arm and stitching the gash in the back of her head. Finally, he gave her a shot of morphine. As the drug quickly raced through her veins, she was able to take a breath and relax. Emily moved her free hand and touched Gavin's arm. Her voice was quiet and a bit raspy, but her eyes spoke where her voice had trouble.

"Are you alright?" 

Gavin was no surgeon, but he was decent enough in a pinch when someone was talking him through it. He set the arm for her; unfortunately, he'd had some experience with that particular injury. Once that was set and in a sling, he turned his attention to the cut on her head. Head wounds always bled more than one would expect... but he didn't want to take any chances here: he used the medical shears to cut the damp, matted, bloody hair from her head. Fortunately for Ste- Emily, the wound was on the side of her head. If she trimmed down the other side, it would look very striking, or she could simply style her hair so that it was covered. Gavin was... mostly shit at stitching people up, and he knew the basics. If it had been her face, he would have called a surgeon, but no one would ever see the side of Emily's head, so he figured getting it done quickly and good enough was better than doing it perfectly. And hey, at least she had the morphine.

As her voice croaked, he could barely understand her. Instead he got her a cold glass of water, which she accepted gratefully.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine. Guy thought he killed you, I think. I know he was talented enough to handle the guards... but a guy like that doesn't know much. If he'd jumped into a car, he'd be long gone. But the woods? That's my territory. You won't have to worry about that guy bothering you again."

Gavin, once he'd dropped some ice into Emily's water, put more ice into a pack and handed it to her.

"For your eye."

He then focused on the cut on her cheek.

"This one... doesn't look quite as bad as the one on you head. Not deep. Shouldn't be any scarring. We can go into the city and get a doctor if you want, though."

He gently applied alcohol, gripping her shoulder to keep her in place as she winced, before attaching the small 

Gavin prowled around her, looking for the next injury to treat. He saw how her back had been whipped, perhaps by the garotte? Whatever had done it, her blouse was shredded and she had several deep lines on her back.

"You've got a few cuts on your back. I'll disinfect them and bandage them."

Focused on the treatment, Gavin ripped the back of her shirt open, which was easy due to the shredding. He was gentle as he applied the alcohol and bandages. When he was done, he helped her lean back onto the medical bed.

"I don't see anything else external. What else hurts? What else can I do?"

Emily kept her eyes closed as he cleaned and bandaged her wounds. The morphine helped, but she knew she'd been beaten severely. The ringing in her ears from where Franco had hit her with a heavy, cut glass vase was so loud. The longer she was awake, the more memories of the struggle returned. Her tattered blouse lay in a bloody heap on the floor, but she was too shaken to and sore to care much about modesty. 

After she was laid back on the table, Emily took a moment to try and assess herself. She tried to take a deep breath, but couldn't. 

"May have broken ribs, he...threw me down the stairs."

Closing her eyes again, she shuddered slightly, seeing the twisted grin on Franco's face. Emily was terrified and angry, but mostly, she just didn't want to be alone. 

Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes, but she blinked them back and tried to clear her throat. 

"I didn't want to get you involved. You're still recovering."

Her darker blue eyes searched his face until they met the arctic blue of his. 

"Please...will your stay with me..."

Gavin listened carefully to her.

"... I know a lot about broken ribs, unfortunately. In almost every case, I've been told to let them alone and let them heal. Is that the right move here as well?"

For now, he ignored the comment about not wanting him to get involved.

"Please...will your stay with me..."

Gavin nodded.

______

When Emily had fallen asleep, Gavin stood up and used the phone in the basement to call Billy.

"Hey. It's Gavin. Need a clean up crew at the bordello- five or six bodies. Yea, Emily's fine. I handled the guy who did it."

There was a long pause, and Gavin furrowed his brow.

"Yea. Yea. I know I'm supposed to be retired. It's not my fault that shit keeps happening. Look, just send the clean up crew. We can talk later."

Hanging up the phone, he returned to Emily's side.

_______

In the morning, when she woke up, he changed the bandages; there didn't seem to be any sign of infection. He fed her a simple breakfast to get something in her stomach, then started a second round of morphine. The best thing for her was sleep. The entire second day passed by with Gavin reading Grey's Anatomy and learning more about medicine. In between bouts of reading, he continued changing Emily's bandages, checking the status of her other injuries, and keeping her asleep and healing. 

Billy's "cleaning" crew removed the bodies, then an actual cleaning crew put the place back together. Gavin called Chloe and let her know everything was okay, but encouraged her and the girls to remain away for another couple days.

Emily remembered waking up, eating, having Gavin check her wounds, seeing Gavin read... but most of her perception of time was lost to the morphine.

_______

The next morning, however, Emily awoke with a clear head. The morphine had been stopped, and her wounds were all healing nicely. Gavin was sitting in a chair near her bed, snoring lightly with Grey's Anatomy spread out on his lap; he appeared to have read almost three quarters of it.

A small smile crept across Emily's face as she opened her eyes to see Gavin and his choice of reading. The ringing in her ears was gone, and she found she could take a slightly deeper breath. 

Using her good arm, she carefully pushed herself up to prop up against a pillow against the headboard of the infirmary bed. She noticed she had been changed into one of the soft, cotton gowns she kept in the cabinet; and all her wounds were clean and perfectly dressed. 

Reaching over, she touched Gavin on the knee to gently wake him. 

"That's awfully dry reading. You look like me in nursing school."

Gavin, who'd always snapped awake at the slightest noise, woke up as soon as he felt Emily's hand on his knee. Blinking, he sat up, catching the book before it could fall. Saving his page, he placed it aside.

"It's pretty interesting, actually. Let's just say that between getting hurt and hurting others I have quite a good understanding of 'applied medicine'... learning about all this stuff is answering a lot of questions for me."

His brows narrowed.

"How are you feeling?"

Before she answered, he continued.

"I should tell you it's been a couple days since... everything. Billy had a clean up crew put the place back together. The girls are still at their resort, but they know what happened... you owe Chloe a bottle of champagne or something, because she's the one who called me and said I should come check on you."

Gavin studied her carefully, but Emily had the distinct impression that he was working very hard to see her as a collection of symptoms rather than a person.

"You should have a bath. After that, you can take a look and see what needs a new bandage and what doesn't."

His brow furrowed.

"Maybe I should have tried to get you up and walking around yesterday... it just seemed like sleeping and healing was better."

Standing smoothly from the chair, he easily took her in her arms and started carrying her upstairs, repeating his original question with a smirk..

"How are you feeling?"

The previous day was very much a blur, with only a smattering of vague recollections available; but everything Emily could remember included Gavin being right by her side. To hear that the whole mess upstairs had already been dealt with was a great relief. She was already reliving the brutal beating in fitful dreams, so it was a mercy that the damage had been removed. That Gavin had thought to check in with the girls made Emily even more grateful, and he was right, she owed Chloe. It was in that moment that Emily came to truly understand the weight and meaning of the family she'd come to be a part of. 

"I'm alright. A little sore, but I don't feel so much like I got hit by a truck anymore. Though, I imagine I look like it."

When they'd made it upstairs, Emily was very happy to see her room and her own bed. Gavin gently put her down and she sat on the edge of the bed. She gave him a grateful smile. 

​​​​​​"So, a bottle of champagne for Chloe. What about you? I owe you a lot more than that."

"You don't owe me anything. If you feel indebted, just open me up a tab for future medical care..."

He smirked.

"Want to try walking?"

Emily nodded. 

"I think so."

Holding onto Gavin's arm with her good one, Emily got to her feet beside the bed. Her muscles were stiff and sore, but she knew a bath would help. Gingerly, she took a few slow steps toward the bathroom. 

For a nurse, it can be hard to accept help; especially when it comes to physical weakness. Nurses are supposed to be the helpers, not the needy ones. Emily, however, was smart enough to know when she was beyond her own ability, and the only thing she felt more than the soreness was an overwhelming sense of relief that Gavin was there. 

By the time they made it into the bathroom, Emily had a good idea of the extent of her injuries just from the way she felt and the sheer amount of energy those few steps took out of her. Gavin helped her into the chair at her vanity, and she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The swelling in her cheek had gone, leaving nothing but the cut and a nasty looking bruise. The angry bruises on her neck were dark blue, but showing signs of beginning to fade. It all reminded her of the attack, and she quickly looked away, down at the floor. 

Gavin supported Emily as little as possible, wanting her to test what she could do on her own while still not letting her stumble. He helped her into her chair, watching Emily appraise her injuries in the mirror. As her eyes dropped to the floor, Gavin lay his hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"You'll be perfect again in a few days... you should see the other guy."

Squeezing her shoulder lightly, he moved toward the large bath, beginning to twist the faucets.

"Warm? Or cool?"

"...you'll be perfect again in a few days."

Emily blushed a bit, not really hearing anything else he said after that except for asking about the water. She watched him as he started the warm water in the claw foot tub. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up just below his elbows. It struck Emily just how strong this man was, and not just physically. She found herself staring at him until he turned back to face her. Shyly, she smiled up to him. 

Gavin returned the smile easily. She seemed like she was doing better, recovering as well as he'd hoped. There was a comfortable silence between the two of them as they listened to the bath fill with warm water. When it was full, he wrenched the faucet closed and stood, offering a hand to her to help her to her feet.

She was still unsteady, unable to stand without support. She needed help, even if she was too proud to ask for it. Gavin froze, unsure how to proceed for a moment, before he stepped forward and helped her walk to the large tub, saying, "I will help you, then I'll leave you for as long as you'd like. If you need anything, I'll be right outside."

He stepped behind her, feeling slightly relieved that she couldn't read his face; it was easier to be professional, detached, when she wasn't looking up at him. His rough hands supported her waist as she raised the cotton gown over her head. He had changed her the previous day, when she was in the morphine, and he had done so mechanically because it needed to be done. This? This was harder? This was... unprofessional. This time, he felt his heart accelerate. 

In the year since his wife's death, Gavin had lusted, but it had been easy to deflect. Those other objects of his lust had been strangers- they'd walked easily into his life and just as easily exited it; it had been easy for him to refuse to act. Emily, in addition to being a beautiful woman, was a friend- someone he admired. This was different.

As she took her first steps into the bath, Gavin chided himself. Old fool. He'd spent so much time fighting his own thoughts that he'd failed to register the most important fact: regardless of his own lust, he was a fool to think that Emily would echo it. Creepy old man. He would be her friend, and he would support her. That was enough.

Gavin made his peace with it and felt content as he helped Emily lower herself into the bath. He felt so confident in the peace of knowing that there was no mutual attraction that he met her eyes to make a joke about spending too long in the bath.

And, in meeting her eyes, he destroyed his newfound sense of peace- because in them, he saw the same lust, the same hunger that was growing within him. As she settled into the bath, he looked at her for a moment, and his breathing audibly changed. Every loud thump of his heart spoke to his desire. 

Kneeling by the side of the bath, his instinct overrode his thinking and he leaned forward to kiss her. 

Initially, it was like a blinding light for both of them, exploding in their minds and overwhelming everything else. They shared a taste of the forest after a rain, but as he leaned towards her, Gavin's mind caught up with his body and he froze- then pulled back.

He swallowed.

He smiled, to let her know she hadn't done anything wrong. 

Then he stood.

"Call me whenever you're finished."

Then Gavin Byrne walked outside to the hall to fight a host of ghosts and demons.

The relaxing sensation of the warm water around her was almost non-existent as Emily saw the look in Gavin's eyes. She felt her own heart skip several beats, then begin to pound like a drum. She kept her eyes locked into his, only closing then when his lips crushed against hers. 

Emily felt nothing but his kiss. There was no pain, no fear; only a swirl of desire and pure ecstasy. It was a moment she'd hardly let herself daydream about, but never thought she'd taste. 

She started to lift her hand from the water to touch his face, but he moved back before she could. For a split second, she worried that she'd crossed a line; but he gave her that easy smile and told her he'd return when she was ready. 

"Ok." 

Her reply was soft and lilting, and she watched him go out of the bathroom. Left alone now, Emily sat still for a long time, her mind playing over what had just happened. Gently, she scooped water up and let it run down her skin. She couldn't deny that she'd had feelings for him, but she'd tried hard to ignore it, thinking she was just being a silly girl. But, he was there. He'd been by her side for almost three days now. He'd cared for her wounds, fed her, dressed her, watched over her. And though he hadn't said it, she was fairly sure he'd killed a man for her. He'd killed many men, but the rest? 

As she carefully bathed, trying to keep her bandaged arm from getting wet, all these thoughts raced through her mind, but one thought remained. A slightly darker thought that set off a streak of worry. It had been only a year since his wife had died. That couldn't have been easy for him. Or, perhaps it was just the heat of the moment with a naked, nearly helpless woman. 

The warm water was beginning to cool. As carefully as she could, she dipped back and rinsed her hair. When she went to sit up, though, the pain of her cracked ribs jolted through her, and she groaned, realizing she didn't have the strength to pull herself up. Her voice cracked as she called out. 

"Sh-shit. Gavin!"

Gavin paced in the hallway like a wild animal who'd been caged. 

Fuck.

On the one hand, he still tasted Emily on his lips. It was easy to close his eyes and see her body in the bath.

On the other hand, he loved Bella. He would until the day he died. Nothing would ever change that. If Bella were alive, he'd not take a serious look at any other woman.

Then again, Bella wasn't alive. What would she want him to do? Join the priesthood? Probably. The was an appeal in martyring himself. But is it really what she would want? He tried to imagine Bella standing next to him, whispering in his ear... but he could imagine her saying so many different things.

He continued pacing. 

If Gavin had died, he'd want Bella to have someone. Shit, he could imagine a parallel universe where he'd died and Bella had wound up marrying Will. It felt... strange... but it didn't feel evil.

Even kissing Emily felt like a betrayal.

Not for the first time, Gavin wished he'd died with Bella. Maybe he should have died with her... but then again, what about the kids?

Shit, what would the kids think of this? He wasn't worried about Will. But Aurora?

Gavin sighed in frustration. What the hell was he supposed to-?

"Sh-shit. Gavin!"

Banishing his thoughts, Gavin flew into the room. He saw what was happening and slid on his knees on the smooth floor, catching the back of Emily's head before she slipped under the water. He couldn't help but smirk.

"Had enough?"

She nodded, and he helped her to her feet, leading her to the bed without making eye contact, where he left her sitting with two towels and a bathrobe. As she dried herself, he faced away from her and looked out the window.

"I'm sorry, for leaving. Nothing to do with you. I've just... got serious baggage."

He paused, frowning.

"It's... not fair to you. I love my wife, Emily. I'll always love my wife. She has my heart, and I don't know how much I can offer you. Someone like you, you're... amazing. But someone like me... my age... my history... it's not fair to you. It's not fair for me to kiss you, despite how much I want to, when you can have someone younger who can come to you without baggage and give you everything they are."

Gavin turned, saw that she'd slipped the robe on, and sat next to Emily on the bed. His eyes were lowered, but they met hers steadily as he took the hand of her good arm.

"All I could give you is friendship and sex. You deserve more than that. I want you to have more than that."

Emily was slow to dry herself off, but listened as she did so. In some way, she had hoped that the kiss hadn't messed with his mind too much. A small part of her had felt selfish for enjoying it. But in his voice, as he spoke, she heard the conflict that was just below the surface. 

After she'd gotten into her robe, she sat back on the edge of the bed. He turned and came to sit beside her. 

"I want you to have more than that."

"Gavin..." 

She made sure her eyes kept his as she spoke. 

"I couldn't ask you for more. You've done so much for me, far beyond anything you had to do. I would be lying if I said that I hadn't hoped that you might be attracted to me; but I told myself that I was being ridiculous and would see me as a silly girl with a crush."

She felt her cheeks burn red with a blush, but she continued, a shy grin on her lips. 

​​​​​​"And maybe I am...but six months ago, I closed m my heart. I didn't think I'd live to see the next sun rise, so what could I give anyone? This life...the one we both have chosen...it comes with baggage that doesn't go away until we die. We just...find different places to stow it along the way."

She took a deep breath, cringing slightly. 

​​​​​​"I could never, ever dare to try and be someone equal to your wife. I couldn't disrespect her memory that way, or your love. But...someone like you...is someone I would have wished for myself."

Emily reached up and touched his face with her fingertips, lightly tracing his stubbled jawline. 

"I want to be your friend, if you'll have me, and that would make me very happy."

She bit her lower lip a bit, then added with an impish grin

"...but, I wouldn't mind the sex."

Gavin nodded slowly.

"Okay."

There was a long pause, followed by the hint of a smirk. He kissed her again, gently, but broke it off before either of them could get too excited. 

"Okay. Well, for now you can't even take a bath without risking your life, so let's hold off on anything too intense, huh?"

He stood, nodding.

"Let's get you dressed. Then I'll call Chloe and get the girls back here to take care of you. And when you're feeling well..."

Gavin let the end of the sentence drift away, but there was the hint of a smirk on his face.